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Halenia
Description The vast and rolling plains of lush countryside to the south east of Altoria and the penensila to the east of Briatha form the Kingdom of Halenia, a monarchy known for its rich history and more recently its current King, His Royal Majesty King Aelfric Waller Singer III, whose name has spread not only by the trade the kingdom does, but by the rumors of his heroic exploits. It is a naval power that is easily one of the strongest in the world for the moment, though the King's goals of expansion only move to the east for the moment. With its steadily growing economy and its practice of mercantilism, the kingdom shows potential for massive growth in the years to come. Inhabitants The Halenian people are by majority human, though the King has expressed his wishes for other races to come and see the kingdom in hopes of creating more peace. The population of this average sized kingdom is average for what you would expect. Natives of Halenia are typically of short stature, with the average man standing 5'4" and women around 5'0". In spite of their verticality, the natives are in no way short minded, favoring diplomacy and peaceful resolution to violence or harsh reaction. This mindset is even reflected in their laws. Despite this, the people of Halenia are quite superstitious and have a long ingrained distrust of magic and magic users. Economy Due to the Kingdom's lands being primarily plains and farmland, their major income comes from trade, but with a tight grip on all sea trade to it's south, from the Sea of Traitors to the Sea of Adias, the Kingdom has been able to thrive, essentially controlling all trade, passage, and exploration to it's south.Of course, its benevolent ruler would never halt foreign trade or passage, but stations are placed so as to force all sea ships pay tolls so high that it is cheaper to be brokered by Halenian merchants and simply work with them rather than around them. The trade symbol of the kingdom is a ship with a circle around it, invoking the image of a coin. The sea is not their only means of trade though. For those to their north, east, and west they also make use of heavily guarded trade caravans which typically will carry goods such as canvas for painting, linen, and perfume. Of particular note is the country's specialty goods which include various cheeses, finely crafted pipes, and the highest quality tobacco. The currency of the Kingdom are Suns, Eclipses, and Moons. Moons being the least valuable, then Eclipses, which are worth a hundred moons, and finally Suns which are worth a hundred Eclipses. Politics Being a Kingdom, rule is passed ideally from father to son down a lineage tree. In the event that there is no male heir to the throne the rule is passed to the Queen, then her husband should she remarry or her first born child. Should there be no immediate heir, the former ruler's next of kin would be passed the title of King. The current King, His Royal Majesty King Aelfric Waller Singer III, is well known for his "two sided hand" political style, having a soft palm and hard fist, so to speak. His leadership is inspiring to such a degree that the currently recognized strength of the nation is it's leadership, though it's weakness of being seen as a magically impaired country leaves it hard fought when dealing with those who only respect magical power. As for the Hierarchy of power, the Royal Family it the top of the ladder, but it descends as follows: * Higher Class: Archdukes * Upper Class: Dukes * Middle Class: Knights, Ship Owners, and Great Scholars * Lower Class: Peasantry * Poor: Hedge Wizards Hedge Wizards find themselves at the bottom of the social order due to the people's distrust of them making it hard to find work or long term homes. The Royal Family's Coat of Arms is a Ship Against a purple banner Laws are general and easily bendable to cover any legal need, though most punishments are light. Unfortunately there are still those who would push the law too far and must be taught a more permanent lesson. For all peoples labeled traitors to the Kingdom, the sentence to the Vulture's Peak Stockade is nearly worse than death. They are forced to march from the capital all the way north to the Thunder Mountains where they are forced to summit the peaks until they reach the Stockade. There are rumors of what happens there, but no one who has ever gone there has ever returned, not even the innocent. Trials are held with a Jury of the defendant's peers, though they are held guilty until proven innocent. Culture The Kingdom has its own flourishing culture despite of it's constant dealings with others. The food and sauces that call Halenia their home are said to be crafted by exclusively masters of their craft and often a chef will devote their whole life to a single dish. This is of course only a rumor, but the food is actually remarkably high quality, attracting food lovers from all over the world. The fashion changes from ruler to ruler, but as of now the fashion for men is ornate capes, often emblazoned with some insignia of their importance, and tall high boots, the higher and more material used the more fashionable they are. For women, flowing skirts made of light materials are all the rage accompanied by huge ornate belts. The national weapon is the longsword, the King's favored weapon and a symbol of efficiency. As with most kingdoms, there are stories of old that tell of heroes who stood for the Kingdom in the face of danger. Three of note are Sir Corin Fiercemane, Lord Tynden Von Enstrin, and Felinda the Demon's Bane. Sir Fiercemane protected the roads of the Kingdom with a magic lance. Lord Enstrin was a Paladin who entered a caldera to destroy a clan of fire giants terrorizing the surrounding area. And Felinda the Demon's Bane was a Cleric of Koaldir who destroyed a demon summoning cult in the capital city. Throughout the year there are various celebrations and festivities, but of note are the Midsummer Fest and the Harvest Celebration. These two nights are such huge celebrations that the king ordered the laws on public drunkenness be lifted these two nights so as to encourage his people to enjoy themselves. Religion At one time, religion played a huge role in the way the people of Halenia handled themselves, but that changed after the High Cardinal of the god Avestus attempted to take the throne with a small army of followers. After the King severed both the Cardinal's legs, he publicly crucified him and banned the worship of all gods except the god of Victory, Koaldir. History Not much ancient history is known about the Kingdom other than that at a time it was called the Rahiash Plains. In more contemporary history, this is the third ruling family of the kingdom with four and three prior generations of leaders. It has grown exponentially with each passing rule. Notable Locations * 'Bowyn's Hamlet; '''Known for its famous route "Widow's Lane' was once a deadly highroad which connects now the humble town of Bowyn to the outskirts of The Desert of Eternity and the fork towards Beaheath Keep. Stone laid houses line the streets as what was once a stone mason village had brought forth one of the richest mining town in Thrae. Known today as the Beaheath Quarry, the mines in which Lodestone, along with various other stone and crystalline or gem like rocks, was built 12 years after the town was established 58 years before it was maintained into a Quarry. Inlaid into the valley of the Thunder Mountains (See image below.), Spires of columned Lodestone surround the Mine entrance as the mines themselves are burrowed out like catacombs due to the population of Stromsauria.* * '''Beaheath Keep; ' * 'Anhill; ' * 'Ieyham; '